Home
by ThaAnya
Summary: Home is where comfort lies. Home is where truth prevails. Home is where the soul resides. Nathan and Haley have a home. Together. Always. And. Forever. *One-Shot* *Naley*


**A/N : Hey everyone, I've been thinking about writing a oneshot for Naley since the past couple of days. So, here it is. **

**Leave me some reviews. Thanks. :)  
-ThaAnya.**

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** Disclaimer :** I own nothing affiliated with either One Tree Hill or the song used in this OS, 'Home' by Daughtry. (Amazing song, though)

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_"I'm going home, back to the place where I belong,_  
_And where your love has always been enough for me."_

Staring at the wide expanse of ocean in front of her, she breathed in the fresh salty air of freedom.

Home is a place where you could find solace. A place where one could be engulfed in a whirlwind of comfort and intimate experiences. Home could be your house, a school, a building, a workplace, a garden or even a beach.

For Haley James Scott, the beach seemed to be a perfect home for her _now_. The iodine filled scent entered her nostrils and as it may its way through her mind and lungs, it seemed to calm the raging storm of despair and loss brewing inside her.

Seven thousand and three hundred days. Seven thousand and three hundred days of life came flooding back to her as she stood there with closed eyes. A series of heartbreaks, dreams, passion, lazy hours in the bed, tears, smiles, laughter and unspoken yet understood words reverberated in her mind. How could she let go of that now?

The scene around her was one of serenity, almost beatific. The white foamy ends of water lapped up the sand every second, adorning her feet on the way. The red rays of a setting Sun filled up the sky. A scene worthy of a billion dollar painting, and much more. The breeze was cool enough. Neither too fierce nor too subdued.

They say you could find the perfect company in solitude. Perhaps, that was exactly what attracted her to this place initially. Not a breath of another human flesh could be sensed for miles and miles.

Haley James Scott was dressed in a white summer dress, _his_ favourite. Her brown tresses were down loose, just like the way he favoured.

While the water did its work with her feet, the wind gently traced the contours of this known flesh. She was not a stranger to beaches, nor was he. This was the one place which had brought them together and given them the strength to create a lifetime of memories. The river court, the tutor centre, the café – nothing could compare with what the beach had, or rather, has.

An angel in paradise waiting for her companion. Or was it the other way round?

The blissful moments of comfort offered her a solace she could not find ever since that fateful day.

Clutching her left fist, Haley felt a small trickle down her cheek. At last it had arrived, the first tear of loss. She was never the one to bottle up her feelings, but it's strange what his absence could do.

She opened her eyelids and stared at the marvel in front of her. Her heart was, surprisingly, light as she took in the pleasure of it all.

Bringing her left hand up, she looked at the photograph slightly crumpled in her palm. It was one of when they were young. It was one of their first memories as a conjoined individual. Their wedding day.

Their day at this beach. Walking up to that makeshift deck, she could feel the myriad emotions playing with her as she embarked on a new life. With him. Later at night, as they lay, tangled in the sheets, he confessed his whirlpool of emotions as he saw his future staring at him at that beach. It was at that moment, she realized that just like many other previous moments, this too brought out a synchronized wave of togetherness between the two of them. She would always be grateful of that.

After a plethora of life-altering incidents, she had finally reached this point. But she wasn't alone. He was here too.

It was a rainy evening. And maybe that was the perfect setting they needed for another important chapter of their lives. Rain had always been their thing. Always and forever.

She was watching old basketball matches on T.V, something she had gotten used to ever since his cocky entry into her life. Thinking about that made her smile now, the curves of her lips disturbing the natural flow of the tears streaming down her cheeks. Yet she made no attempt to stop them.

Today she wanted it to be true and natural, just like the way they were.

And then came that knock on the door. Opening a door in life often changes the entire path of a person's journey. Quite literally speaking, the same did for her that night. Lucas Scott stood on the other side, tears falling down his cheeks, unabashedly. The look on his face said it all. _He was no more._ Haley had never felt more lost than she felt then.

As her best friend engulfed her in his embrace, standing on the porch, the rain pattered down on both of them. It wasn't supposed to be like that. Rain was _their_ thing. And as much as she loved her best friend, she couldn't share this with him.

The news traveled fast. The sudden cardiac arrest while driving was unexpected and painful. While she stood beside his coffin, she couldn't help but notice the muffled sobs of everybody around her. _Their_ friends. _Their_ parents. Even his teammates. _Their children_ – James and Lydia. Everybody seemed to unite in their grief, on that day. And yet, amidst the crowd, she felt alone and numb. Like a vital part of her was missing. True. _He _was missing.

She seemed distant soon after, refusing to budge out of her house. She couldn't face the pain of knowing that a life without _him_ existed. But maybe it didn't. Maybe it didn't, and maybe that was why she stood here in front of the setting Sun, completely void of any interruption.

It was not as though people had deserted her. On the contrary, it was she who had left their company in bits and pieces. Perhaps today she could leave them altogether.

It had been a month. A month of sleepless nights. A month of loud wails. A month of banging the wall. A month of disbelief and belief and sorrow. _A month of separation._

She wanted him again. To feel his touch, to sleep to his rhythmic heartbeat, to look into those blue orbs passionately. She couldn't believe the demise of those little things that made them who they were. She couldn't accept that it had ended. _It couldn't have been over_.

Glancing down at the tiny waves formed around her feet, she felt prepared. She felt a soothing calm rush over her mind.

Haley left three letters back in that house she once used to share with her _family._ One for her best friend, Lucas Scott, which explained everything he needed to know about her love and decisions and their everlasting friendship. One for her children, describing how much Daddy and Momma loved them and will always do; telling them it is okay to take chances at times to identify your own self. And the last one was for her parents and her friends, telling how much comfort and support they have shown her at each step of life. In each of these letters, she mentioned how much she loved them and will continue to do so, and perhaps, someday they could re-create these memories in another sphere of the universe.

She had loved every one of them. Every single one. But there was one person for whom a mere declaration of love would not suffice. She needed him as much as he needed her.

She didn't need the consent for her decisions when it came to him. His smile would top off any chart of approval.

Smiling softly, she looked up in the sky. Everything about that atmosphere spelled pure. Pure love. Pure trust. Pure honesty. _Pure Nathan Scott._

She waited for him. She waited for _Naley._ Not looking back even for a second, she proceeded forwards with a gentle curve of her lips.

The water was complete bliss as she invaded its serenading flow.

A small whisper reached her ears, making her stop and stand steadfast in the ocean.

"Haley." That same old voice she had longed to hear since a month. The husky voice that could make her act like a genie in the bottle, fulfilling every wish of her handsome Aladdin. Her own Nathan Scott.

Right now, Haley felt complete. She knew she had made the right decision. She knew it because he was with her. Just like he said he would be, _always and forever_.

"I love you, Hales." His voice seemed to pass through her ears again.

Closing her eyes one last time, Haley's heart soared like the raven flying above her in the sky. Finally she felt at home. She felt _him._

"I love you, Nathan".

With these final words, she took a deep long breath, waiting for him to come take her in another journey of love.

The sun had finally disappeared below the horizon. But Nathan and Haley had just risen above the grounds of captivity.

They were together now. _They were home._


End file.
